Jane McAlevey on the Union Defeat at Amazon
Labor strategist Jane McAlevey offers her take on why Amazon workers were defeated in their recent Bessemer, Alabama union drive.
An RWDSU union rep holds a sign outside the Amazon fulfillment warehouse at the center of a unionization drive on March 29, 2021 in Bessemer, Alabama. (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images)
Why did the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) lose its fight against Amazon in Bessemer, Alabama? Jane McAlevey analyzed the loss in a widely read piece for the Nation. Sadly, everything she says is true.
Doug Henwood interviewed McAlevey for his Jacobin Radio show Behind the News. You can listen to the conversation here. The transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Doug Henwood
Let’s straighten some things out for civilians who might not understand the arcana of labor law: card check vs. NLRB elections. What are the alternatives? What are the advantages, disadvantages? Are there any other routes available, or is that it?
Jane McAlevey
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